Do high school sports build or reveal character? Bounding causal estimates of sports participation. (June 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ransom, Michael R; Ransom, Tyler
• Is Part Of: Economics of education review. Volume 64(2018)
• Page Start: 75
• Page End: 89
• Publication Date: 2018-06
• Subjects: Human capital -- High school sports -- Selection; I20 -- J24; Education -- Economic aspects -- Periodicals; 370
• DOI: 10.1016/j.econedurev.2018.04.002
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0272-7757

Abstract

Highlights: Many studies have documented that high school athletes attain higher levels of education and earn higher wages in the labor market as adults. An important policy question is whether sports participation builds skills or if it instead reveals existing skill levels. We separately analyze three longitudinal data sets from the United States. We utilize newly developed econometric methods to put bounds on the causal effects of sports. For most outcomes, we find no evidence of a causal effect of high school sports on educational and labor market outcomes. Abstract: We examine the extent to which participation in high school athletics in the United States has beneficial effects on future education, labor market, and health outcomes. Due to the absence of plausible instruments in observational data, we use recently developed methods that relate selection on observables with selection on unobservables to estimate bounds on the causal effect of athletics participation. We do not find consistent evidence of individual education or labor market benefits. However, we do find that male (but not female) athletes are more likely to exercise regularly as adults, but are no less likely to be obese.